Ball swivel base spotlight



March 4, 1952 A. LAMPE BALL SWIVEL BASE SPOTLIGHT 2 SHEE'I' SSHEET 1 Filed Feb. 12, 1948 Albert 6. Lampe INVENTOR.

M -Mg March 4, 1952 LAMPE 2,588,252

BALL SWIVEL BASE SPOTLIGHT Filed Feb. 12, 1948 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Albert 6. Lampe INVENTOR.

BY wan/Z2 Patented Mar. 4, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BALL SWIVEL BASE SPOTLIGHT Albert G. Lampe, Madison, Wis. Application February 12, 1948, Serial No. 7,833

1 Claim. (Cl. 287-23) This invention relates to a spot lamp of the type mounted to be turned so that the light may be thrown in any desired direction, and is particularly adapted for use on boats.

A primary object of the invention is to provide an efficient device that is not subject to mechanical failures.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device that is simple, durable, economical and can readily be rotated.

A feature of the invention is that there are no troublesome wires tobreak off by twisting.

Another feature of the invention is its corrosion-proof parts, and still another desirable feature is the rotation of the light in any desired position as well as a simultaneous 30 degree movement from the vertical in any position.

The invention accordingly, comprises the features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangement of parts, which are exemplified in the description hereinafter in connection with the accompanying drawings, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claim.

In the accompanying drawings, in which is illustrated one of various possible embodiments of the invention;

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the spot light of the invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the light shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a horizontal view taken on line 3--3 of Figure 2; V

Figure 4 is a vertical view taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Referring to Figure 2, the spot light of the invention is generally indicated at I and includes a lamp casing I2, a substantially semi-spherical base I4 anda socket member I6, seated on upper, spherical end of base I4, as is shown in the drawings. socket member I6 is suitably fastened to the lamp casing by means of a U-shaped bracket I 8. Bracket I8, socket member I i, and base I4 are apertured at 20, 22, 24, respectively, and are in axial alignment in order to receive a housing 26 containing an axial bore 28. A sleeve 30, threaded at opposite ends 32, 34 frictionally engages housing 26 along its length and is suitably retained in bracket I8 and base I4 by means of lock nuts 36, 38 threaded on ends 32, 34, respectively.

Extending through axial bore 28 is a conductor 40, suitably connected by wire 42 to a switch 44 fastened to the inner periphery of lamp casing I2 by means of a bolt 46 held on the casing by nuts 48. Switch 44 includes the usual snap button 49. A short wire 50 leads from switch 44 to seal beam unit 52 suitably grounded to casing I2, in a well known manner. The opposite end of terminal 40 terminates in a brush element 54 frictionally seated on plate 56 for a purpose presently to be described.

Bracket I8 is clamped to casing I2 by means of bolts 58 and is secured to socket I6 in any desired manner, such as by rivets 60, to retain shoulder 62 of socket IS in rigid engagement therewith. The lower end of socket tapers outwardly at 64 as can be seen in Figures 1 and 2, and includes an inwardly turned flange 60.

spaced slightly above base I4 to avoid marring the surface thereof, by means of a friction ring 68 of any desired material such as rubber, fiber or plastic, though rubber is preferred. Friction ring 68 is positioned in the annular space formed by tapered portion 64 and flange 66 and bears the work load. A follower plate or clamping member I0, convexedly curved, is positioned near the interior upper periphery of base I4, and is resiliently placed in abutting relationship thereto by means of a disk I2 urged by an expansion spring I4 carried by sleeve 30 and seated on a shoulder I5 retained by lock nuts 38. A bushing guide insulator I8, fixed within housing 28, acts as a seat for a spring which urges brush 54 downwardly on plate 56, best seen in Figures 2 and 3. Plate 56 is, in turn, retained on an insulated circular block 82 by rivets 88, and block 82 is joined, by su table bolt means 84, to a shoulder 86 on the bottom of base I 4. A source of current, such as wires 90, are suitably grounded at 92 and connected to plate 56 at 94.

A handle 96 bored at 98 is journaled to lamp casing I2 by means of bolt I 00 threaded into bore 98 and urged against disk I 02 retained on handle 96 by screw means I04. Flange I06 is retained on casings I2 by the usual split clamp fastening means I 8. Screw I04 keeps handle 06 aligned with casing I2.

From the foregoing, the operation of the device is readily apparent. It is to be noted that housing 26 is axially aligned in the ball and socket connection and disk 5'6 is in the exact center of base I4. The operator lifts handle 96 and rotates the lamp casing I2 by the ball and socket relation on I4, I6. Thus a 360 degrees circle is described, and the device is further inclined from the vertical to a maximum of 30 degrees by the axial position of housing 26. Plate or clamping member 10 follows the inner, upper periphery of base I4, being urged thereagainst by means of spring 14 until it contacts the open perimeter of base 14. Spring 80 presses brush 54 against plate 56 at the exact mid-point of the circular travel of the device. Friction ring 68 assures the necessary rigidity for retaining the spot light in any desired position. Pin 60 retains bracket 18 and socket member l6 immovably together while clamped by sleeve 30 to enable all movement to take place on friction ring 68, rather than on any other portions of the frame when pressure is supplied to handle 96. The necessary current for the spot light is supplied by wires 90, 56, 54, 28, 42, 50 and is controlled by switch 44.

The entire device is corrosion-resistant, being chrome plated and being made of heavy stock copper. There are no protruding wire connections to loosen or twist off and it is easily and smoothly manipulated.

From the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are attained and other advantageous results achieved. As many modifications of the embodiment above illustrated might be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention, as it is intended that the above description and accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

In a ball joint including a hollow base having an opening therein, a housing loosely received in said opening and having a portion projecting from said base, a socket member fixed to said portion and bearing against said base, a clamping member slidably received on said housing and means yieldingly urging said clamping member against the inner surface of said base to maintain said housing at a predetermined angle relative to said base, and a wedge-shaped resilient ring bearing against the outer surface of said base and engaging the inner surface of said socket member to retain said socket member in adjusted angular position relative to said base, said hollow base being substantially semi-spherical and said socket member including an inturned peripheral rim slightly spaced from the outer surface of said base, said clamping member including a curved plate having an outwardly flared marginal edge bearing against the inner surface of said base.

ALBERT G. LAMPE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENT Number Name Date 522,391 Walker July 3, 1894 772,877 Fischer Oct. 18, 1904' 1,420,075 Berge June .20, 1922 1,472,509 Bitter Oct. 30, 1923 1,583,185 Sanford May 4, 1926. 1,635,468 Dodge July 12, 1927 1,636,903 Dodge July 26, 1927 1,780,383 Green Nov. 4, 1930 1,794,726 Mitchell Mar. 3, 1931 2,000,743 Cohen May 7, 1935 2,298,176 Schwartz Oct. 6, 1942 2,439,009 Kujawski Apr. 6, 1948 2,467,639 Tornbloom Apr. 19, 1949 

